I am a citizen, not of Athens or Greece but of the world. Socrates

Admiral Sir James Eberle

Admiral Sir James Eberle

May 2018. I was so sad to learn of Sir James Eberle's death on 17th May. Before becoming the director of Chatham House he was former Supreme Commander of Nato and a former Commander-in-chief of the British fleet. There were four of us in the directorate at Chatham House and I enjoyed working alongside him. It was a very challenging time for Chatham House because core support from the UK government had ended. 

He gave me something to treasure...for when I left he wrote: Pida Ripley came to ‘Chatham House’ as the Director of Development some three years ago. … I am in no doubt that Pida Ripley made a very great contribution to the future of the Royal Institute. As a successful fundraiser, she must surely be in the highest league. As a person she has earned my deep admiration. If I was ever again concerned with fundraising and corporate development, there is only one person to whom I would turn. She is Pida Ripley. We continued meeting thereafter, mainly at conferences, seminars etc at the Royal United Services Institute.